Car-truck



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. ROBINSON.

GAR TRUCK.

No. 243,798. Patented July 5,1881.

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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 8.

No. 248,798. Patented July, 1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT LL-.()rrIcE.

WILLIAM ROBINSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming partpof Letters Patent No. 243,798, dated Ju1y\5,1881.

Application filed April 7, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM ROBINSON, ofBoston, in the county of Suffolk andl State of Massachusetts, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Radial Gar-Trucks,of-:which thefollowing is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of referenceindicate like parts, Figure lis a side elevation of a truck, consistingof a main and two supplemental trucks and a portion of a car-bod y,embodying my improvements. A portion of one of the axleboxes isrepresented as having been removed, the better to illustrate certaindetails. Fig. ,2 is a plan view with the car-bodyrremoved. Fig. 3 is avertical section on linear x, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar section online y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents an elevation of one of the saddles Hand a section of the box upon which it rests, and also a plan view ofthe under side of said box and saddle. Fig. 6 is a central longitudinalvertical section of the truck and car-body embodying the invention.Fig..7 is aplan ofthe under side of that portion of the car-bodyengaging the eccentric-pin, (below described.) Fig. Sis a sideelevation, showing certain improvements not exhibited in the formeriigures, and a modification. A sectional view of the equalizing-bar,showing the shape of the guiding-bar M, is also shown in connection withthis gure. Fig. 9 is a plan view ot' the under side of the truckconstructed as illustrated in Fig. 8, aportion bein grepresented asbroken out and a portion in horizontal section.

A represents the car-bottom; B, the main truck,centrally pivoted at A',to the car-bottom and O, the supplemental trucks, centrally pivoted at Bto the main truck, and connected by the crossed links C', each pivotedat both ends to the supplemental trucks C, or equivalent mechanicaldevice.

Extending upward from and ri gidly-secured to one of the supplementaltrucks is the eccentric-pin D. This pin extends up through theltransversely long slot B in the main truck into the longitudinally longslot E in the rocking socket E.V (See Figs. 2, 6, and 7.) This sockethas its bearings E longitudinally in the car-bottom. (See Fig. 7.) Theobject of providing a rocking slotted socket for the admission of thepin D is to prevent undue strain upon said pin, especially when a-swinging bolster is used, as is the case ordinarily inpassenger-coaches. A modification might consist of an eccentric-pinrigidly secured to the carbottom, having its lower end inserted in aslotted rocking socket applied to a supplemental truck-an exact reversalof the device shown.

In practice,when the wheels strike a curve, the rails impart an endmovement to the axles F, causing the main truck B to turn on its axis.This movement, by means of the pin D, which is placed eccentrically toor one side of the swiveling-point A of the car-body, and by means ofthe centrally-pivoted supplemental trucks C, provided with theconnecting-link C', turns the supplemental trucks so that the axles ofall the supplemental trucks are on lines which are radiiot' the samecircle-viz., a circle an arc of which is described by the curved track.The two slots B and E allow the free relative movement ofthe pin D, andthe rock ing socket E prevents undue strain thereon, as above described.

G G are the equalizing-bars. These differ from the equalizingbars now inuse, which are rigidly secured to the axle-boxes upon which they rest,in that they are adjustable, the main object being to adapt anequalizing-bar to radial supplemental trucks withoutinjuring theefficiency of either. The bars Gr are suspended fromthe axle-boxes F bymea-ns of the diagonal hangers. or stirrupswH'ywhich are pivoted to thesaddles H, resting upon the axleboxes F. The shapeof the stirrups isshown in Figs. l and 4, and of the saddles in Figs. 1 and 5. Guides H,preferably made convex, as shown in Fig. 5, upon their inner sides, inorder to allow the boxes to turn-slightly in the saddles withoutbinding, are provided for controlling the relative movementof thesaddles and boxes. The saddles are preferably not secured to the boxes,otherwise than as above described, in order to allow of a slightsidewise movement.

I I are springs placed between the equalizing-bar and the maintrucks,and having their ends placed in the seats G and B on said bar andtruck. As the car moves around a curve the outer boxes-i. e., thosenearer the outer curved railmove apart, thus through t-he hangers Hlifting the equalizingbar Gr on that side, and hence through the springsI raising that side of the main' truck and of the IOO car body. At thesame time the opposite equalizing-bar is lowered by the inner boxesmoving toward each other, thus bringing the inner hangers, H', to a morenearly vertical position and lowering the side of the main truck and ofthe car-body near the inner curved rail. Thus it will be seen that inrounding a curve the outer side of the car is raised and the inner sidelowered, even when the rails are of the same height, and the greater thecurve the greater is this tipping movement.

J J are safety-straps extendingfrom the main truck around theequaliZing-bar, serving to stiften it and prevent its vibration, and, incase of the breaking of one or more of the stirrups H', temporarilysupporting it. The loops J', inclosin g the bar, are sufficiently longto accommodate the vertical play of the bar therein.

The bar M, (see Fig. 8,) secured to the main truck independently of thespring and springseats, and lying between guides M' on theequalizing-bar G, is for preventing lon gitudinal movement in saidequalizing-bar.

If desired, guides J" (see Figs.1 and 9) may be applied to theequalizing-bar next the safetystraps J, thus utilizing them asguiding-bars also.

In many cases the springs I will bear at their upper ends against themain truck B, as shown in Fig. l, the seat B'" alone intervening; but insome instances the supplemental trucks are of such a shape that thesprings are in the way of their inner corners, as in Fig. 9. Toaccommodate supplemental trucks of this description, a seat is providedfor the upper end of each spring below the supplemental trucks C, andyet rigidly secured to the main truck. This seat may consist of a bar,K, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, extending across the main truck, havingits ends bent up and secured thereto, and having its horizontal portionbelow the supplemental truck, th ns allowing it free play; or it mayconsist of a short bar extending partly across the supplemental truck orother mechanical equivalent or modification of the seat K shown,provided, always, that such seat is rigidly secured to the main truckand extends below the supplemental trucks without interfering with them,to form a seat for the upper end of the spring I.

It will be noticed that the equalizing-bars G are below the axles, thussupporting the weight of the car-body below the axles, keeping thecenter of gravity low, and hence diminishing the rocking or jarringmotion, increasing the steadiness of the car, and adding to the comfortof passengers.' It will be understood that the car-body A rests on themain truck B. The main truck rests, through the springsI, on theequalizing-bars G. The

equalizing-bars, through the han gers and sad-- dles, are supported bythe boxes, and the supplemental trucks, which bear no weight, areallowed free movement with scarcely any friction, their office being tohold the boxes (and hence the axles) in position and to guide themovement of the same, not to bear the weight of the car.

L L (see Fig. 2) are safety-straps, having their ends secured to themain truck, or to a rigid connection, L', therewith, and passing downundera portion of the frame of a suppl'emental truck, thus securing itin case of accident.

In Figs. 8 and 9 a modification is shown, in which the ends of theequalizing-bar are bent up and rest upon the boxes, a curvature beingmade-corresponding to a circle whose center is the pivotal point of thesupplemental truck nearest to it-in the portions G"' of said bar,resting and sliding on the boxes. (See the sectional portion of Fig. 9.)

It will thus be seen that by means of my improvements radialsupplemental trucks and equalizing-bars are .adapted to be used on thesame car without interfering with each other or injuring the efficiencyof either.

Having thus fully described my improvement, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railway-car, the combination, with the car-body, main truck,radial supplemental trucks, and eccentricpin D, of a rockin g socketadapted to engage said eccentric-pin, for the purpose of providing forthe necessary relative movement of the pin without danger of injurythereto during the radiation of the trucks, substantially as set forth.

2. In a radial car-truck consisting of the main truck B and supplementaltrucks C, the combination of the following elements, viz: an adjustableequalizing-bar suspended below the axles, box-pedestals secured to thesupplemental trucks and embracing the boxes in the usual manner, and theindependent saddles- ICO H, sustaining the equalizing-bar by means ofthe stirrups H', substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the stirrups H', constructed as shown, to embracethe equalizingbar G,With said bar and the axle-boxes F', pro vided withmeans for sustaining said stirrups, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

4. In combination with the axle-boxes F', hangers or stirrups H', andequalizing-bar G, the saddles H, adapted, substantially as shown, toallow lateral and rotary movement upon the boxes, but to preventlongitudinal movement thereon, for the purpose specified.

5. In combination with the main truck vB and equalizing-bar G, thesafety-straps J, constructed substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with thc main truck B and equalizing-bar G, theguiding-bar M, said bar being independent of the spring-seat and adaptedto prevent longitudinal movement in the equalizing-bar, substantially asdescribed.

7 rlhe combination, with the main truck B, supplemental trucks C,equalizing-bar G, and springs l, of the spring-seats K, or theirmechanical equivalents, said seats being I constructed and adapted toreceive the upper ends IIO of the springs below the frames of thesupplesafety-straps, L, secured to one truck and eX- mental truckswithout interfering with their tending around a portion of the othertruck,

movement, thus allowing said frames to freely substantially as and forthe purpose set forth. ro radiate between the spring-seats and the mainWILLIAM ROBINSON.

5Y truck, substantially as specified. Witnesses:

8. The combination, with the main truck B HENRY W. WILLIAMS, and asupplemental truck, C, of one or more GEORGE V. MALLON.

